The Le Ba Dang Foundation has relaunched its prestigious creative awards, honoring young artists and scholars inspired by the late painter’s legacy.
The Le Ba Dang Foundation has officially announced the recipients of the 2026 Le Ba Dang Creative Awards - marking the foundation’s relaunch after a period of interruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and a transition to a new executive board.
Established in 2015 in accordance with the wishes of the late artist Le Ba Dang, the foundation aims to support young artists and scholars pursuing creative practices inspired by the spirit and artistic legacy of the renowned painter. In its first season after returning, the program attracted a wide range of high-quality submissions spanning visual arts, research, conservation and community development.
Artwork by artist Le Giang.
In the Creativity category, artist Le Giang was recognized for a project exploring printmaking techniques and mixed-media painting inspired by Le Ba Dang’s embossed printing, screen-printing and gilding techniques. Drawing from archival materials at the Le Ba Dang Memorial Space, the artist seeks to explore paper as a multidimensional medium, opening up geological layers rich in architectural and spiritual meaning.
Le Giang graduated from the Vietnam University of Fine Arts and completed a master’s degree at the University of the Arts London. She has participated in major international exhibitions including the Asia Pacific Triennial 2024 and Art Basel Hong Kong 2022, and was named in Forbes Vietnam’s 30 Under 30 list in 2018.
Le Tan Chung’s installation “Mam Coi.”
Also in the Creativity category, landscape architect and artist Le Tan Chung drew attention with an installation project inspired by the late painter’s small house in Bich La village, Quang Tri Province. The work takes the form of a large dome constructed from recycled materials such as slag ore, burnt rice husks and mother-of-pearl, evoking layered experiences of light, shadow and geological memory.
According to the foundation, Le Tan Chung’s artistic practice focuses on listening to places and uncovering the relationship between humans and their living environments through materials marked by the passage of time.
In the Research category, independent researcher To Nguyen Nhat Anh received the award for a study examining the fusion of graphic forms and language within Le Ba Dang’s artistic heritage. Drawing on intermediality theory and the philosophy of Gilles Deleuze, the research approaches the painter’s visual storytelling as an act of cultural interpretation while expanding perspectives on global modernism.
Artwork by To Nguyen Nhat Anh.
Currently based in Ho Chi Minh City, To Nguyen Nhat Anh holds dual bachelor’s degrees in English Literature and Communications from Denison University in the United States, along with a master’s degree in Comparative Literature from University College London in the United Kingdom.
Meanwhile, the Young Leadership category was awarded to Le Thi Ngoc Phung, a student majoring in Arts and Media Studies at Fulbright University Vietnam. Ngoc Phung aims to document and critically reflect on creative and research practices developed through the foundation’s residency programs while helping bring Le Ba Dang’s legacy closer to younger generations.
The Myshu Award 2025 was presented to scholar Vu Do for a project focused on technical analysis and preventive conservation of works currently housed at the Le Ba Dang Memorial Space in Hue. The project aims to build a database covering materials, artistic techniques, conditions of deterioration and conservation solutions suitable for Vietnam’s practical conditions.
According to representatives of the foundation, the results of this first season reflect the organization’s new direction: encouraging practices that engage in dialogue with artistic heritage through in-depth research, material experimentation, conservation and interdisciplinary knowledge-building models.
In the coming years, the Le Ba Dang Foundation plans to expand its residency, research, artistic support and professional collaboration programs in an effort to contribute to a more dynamic and sustainable art environment in Vietnam.
Painter Le Ba Dang, also known internationally by the name Lebadang, was born in 1921 in Quang Tri Province. He studied at the Toulouse School of Fine Arts in France and became one of Vietnam’s most internationally influential artists. Throughout his career, he continuously experimented with different materials and artistic forms, particularly painting, relief sculpture and sculpture. Although he spent many years living abroad, his love for Vietnam remained a constant source of inspiration throughout his work.
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